PLANTATION, FLA. (WSVN) - Officials are addressing the Plantation community’s concerns days after a local shopping center explosion reduced businesses to rubble and injured almost two dozen people.
The Florida Crisis Response Team held a meeting at Central Park, at 9151 NW 2nd St., at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday.
Teri Dattilio, who was inside the LA Fitness at the time of the explosion, said she felt “really weird about it.”
“We saw the glass coming in, and the ceiling and the concrete coming right by our faces,” Dattilio said. “I mean, we were right at the front window. We thought it was a bomb. We thought terrorist attack — that’s what everybody was thinking — because it was so loud, so I mean, I tried to go back to work and tried to forget about it, but you’re just tired and mentally drained, and it’s difficult.”
While there is no way to miss the destruction left behind after Saturday’s explosion, the mental damage is much less apparent.
“We cannot sleep,” said Maria, who was inside the LA Fitness. “Everybody says the same, ‘We cannot sleep.’ We, like, picture what we saw, what we hear. The sound is still in our ears.”
Abbie Bryan, who was also inside the gym at the time of the explosion, said, “I’m not OK right now, but it’s OK to not be OK.”
The City of Plantation offered counseling Tuesday for those struggling after the blast, which injured 23 people, destroyed or damaged businesses and cars and left scores of people without work.
Alzata Thurston, whose grandchildren were inside the gym, said, “Listening to other people going through what they’re going through, too, it was very important because people can then let them know that they were not there by themselves.”
While those affected seek help to cope with the traumatic event, the cleanup at the scene continued Tuesday.
Local, state and federal investigators are searching for the origin of the explosion and are looking into reports of the smell of gas before the blast.
Meanwhile, business owners are clearly unable to open, and their employees are without work.
Greater Plantation Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Siobhan Edwards said the chamber is doing everything it can to get those employees a paycheck.
“They need that paycheck on Friday, and they probably don’t have health insurance, and they need that check right then and there, so that’s what we’re trying to do: is make sure that by this week they’re in position where they’re gonna get a paycheck,” Edwards said.
While the chamber of commerce works on that need, others are finding solace in knowing that they are not alone.
“It was nice to talk to people today that are feeling the same way,” Dattilio said.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction for us right now, because it was a traumatic event,” Bryan said. “Even talking about it right now, it’s just a lot.”
If you are one of those whose job was affected by Saturday’s explosion, you can reach out to the Greater Plantation Chamber of Commerce at 954-587-1410. They are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and they said they have the resources and the information to help.
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